Our Vision

We have a vision of a day when it can truly be said that St. Nicolas Church is good news for Newbury. We know we have a long way to go, but this vision of the future excites and inspires us. We are committed to making it a reality.

As we seek to fulfil this vision, we believe God calls us to do two things:

Being Good News: We believe we are called to be good news in Newbury. Just as our historic church building lies right at the heart of the town, so we want to be a church that is actively involved and engaged at the centre of life in Newbury - meeting real local needs, serving in partnership with local organisations, and above all demonstrating God's love in everything we do. We long to be good news in our town.

Bringing Good News: We believe we are called to bring good news to Newbury. At the heart of the Christian faith is a message of love and life; of security and hope; of joy and peace; of forgiveness and reconciliation. It is the good news about God who made us, who loves us and send his Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to restore our relationship with him. We long to bring good news to our town.

As we seek to fulfil this vision, we recognise that we are not starting from scratch, but building on strong foundations laid over many years of ministry at St. Nicolas Church and, as part of the Church of England, we are strengthened by our Anglican heritage. As we look to the future and this next phase of ministry, we beleive there are four key areas we need to focus on.

Our Faith

Our vision is of a church where:

we are continually growing in our knowledge of God

we are always maturing as disciples of Jesus Christ

we are daily being renewed by the Holy Spirit

we are humbly obeying God's word

we are totally dependant on God in prayer

we are actively sharing our faith with others

Therefore in the next 3 years we want to:

Significantly increase the number of people in small groups by raising the profile of small groups within the church and providing effective training and support for group leaders.

Re-launch our prayer ministry to enable many more people to engage with the prayer life of the church.

Develop a regular programme of events and initiatives aimed at bringing people to faith, increasing the faith in young Christians and stimulating growth in mature Christians.

Equip and encourage people to be bold in sharing their faith.

Our Fellowship

Our vision is of a church where:

we are united in faith and love

we are distinctive in the way we care for each other

we are attractive to outsiders

we are excellent at welcoming newcomers

we are effective at communicating with each other

we are known for our generous hospitality

Therefore in the next 3 years we want to:

Develop a reliable structure for pastoral care, covering every member of the congregation.

Re-launch our welcome ministry, enabling newcomers quickly to know they belong and are included in our fellowship.

we are embracing a variety of styles of worship across our services, from traditional to contemporary

we are challenged and encouraged to worship with our whole lives throughout the week

Therefore in the next 3 years we want to:

Change our Sunday service pattern to focus resources and improve quality while continuing to provide a range of styles across our services.

Develop our organisation for worship by strengthening our teams and providing training and resources for all those involved in leading worship.

Invest in our church building to make it more useful and flexible by installing new sound and projection systems, creating extra space at the back of church, and continuing to plan for future redevelopment of the whole building.

Ensure that our Bible teaching connects with real life in the real world.

we are recognised as having a significant and positive impact in our town

we are committed to working together with community leaders and other churches

we are all equipped and supported to serve others and be Christ's witnesses in his world

Therfore in the next 3 years we want to:

Dramatically increase the number of church members involved in existing church and community work in the town.

Establish at least one significant new ministry for a particular local need we feel called to address.

Invest to make our buildings more accessible and available to the community.

Regularly celebrate people's ministries in the workplace and the world, supporting them through encouragement, teaching and prayer.

This vision for St Nicolas Church is not just for a few people but for everyone. We are one church, made up of different people with diverse gifts. We believe God calls every member of the congregation to play their part in fulfilling this vision. For some this will mean continuing in an existing ministry. For others this will mean taking on new challenges in response to God's call. For all of us, we pray that it would increase our unity and renew our sense of purpose as we serve God together.

If there is a part of this vision for St Nicolas Church that you have a particular passion for, or where you have relevant gifts of experience, please let us know. Email the Rector, Will Hunter Smart, at vision@st-nics.org or contact him using the details above.